Australia’s most-decorated soldier arrested over alleged war crimes

Australia’s Most-Decorated Soldier Faces War Crimes Charges

Ben Roberts-Smith, a retired Australian military veteran and recipient of the Victoria Cross, was apprehended at Sydney airport and set to appear in court on Tuesday. The charges against him include five counts of murder allegedly committed during his time in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012.

A defamation ruling in 2023 concluded that Roberts-Smith had killed several unarmed Afghan civilians. The 47-year-old denies the accusations, calling them “egregious” and “spiteful,” and claims they have not yet been evaluated at a criminal level.

Australian Federal Police Confirm Charges

Commissioner Krissy Barrett of the AFP confirmed that the former Special Air Service corporal is facing allegations of ordering subordinates to shoot unarmed detainees in Afghanistan. “The victims were either shot directly by him or under his command,” she stated.

“It will be alleged the victims were shot by the accused or shot by subordinate members of the ADF in the presence of, and acting on the orders of the accused,” Barrett added.

The Brereton Report, released in 2020, uncovered “credible evidence” of 39 potential unlawful killings by elite Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. This led to the formation of the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI), a dedicated team tasked with examining these claims. To date, the OSI has charged only one other individual besides Roberts-Smith.

Ross Barnett, the OSI’s director of investigations, described the arrest as a “significant step” in a difficult investigation. He noted the challenges of examining crimes in a war zone 9,000 kilometers away, stating the team lacks direct access to evidence such as photographs, site plans, and blood spatter analysis.

Barrett also highlighted that allegations of misconduct apply to a small segment of the Australian Defence Force. “The majority of our military personnel do our country proud,” she said, underscoring the broader trust in the force despite the current scrutiny.